


A game of clue

by boldlygowherenodoghasgonebefore



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Babysitting, Board Games, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 11:20:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13657944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boldlygowherenodoghasgonebefore/pseuds/boldlygowherenodoghasgonebefore
Summary: Julian and Garak babysit for the Obriens.





	A game of clue

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place towards the end of the fifth season in an AU where Julian and Garak are partnered. The book "Is this my cow?" is a Terry Pratchet book that one of his characters Sam Vimes reads to his son every night.

Julian sat in their quarters, working at his station. Garak walked in, an impish grin on his face.

Julian put down his padd.

“Garak, what did you do?”

“My dear, what makes you think that I’ve done anything?”

Julian waited.

“Chief O’Brien and I had lunch. He seems, shall we say, a little daft today. I believe the strain of all those sleepless nights with Kiroyoshi has addled his brain.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Why, isn’t it obvious? We’re babysitting tonight.”

Julian sighed. 

“Garak, I have work to do.”  
“Don’t worry, my darling. You’ll hardly even know that we’re here."

\-----------------------------------

At 18:00 hours, Keiko appeared at their door with Molly and Kiroyoshi.

“Julian. Thank you.”

Molly started exploring their quarters, and several of his pictures clatter to the floor.

Julian opened his mouth but a look from Garak silences him. His gaze softened.

“You’re quite welcome. Get some rest. That’s an order.”

Keiko smiles and the doors shut behind her.  
Kiroyoshi’s screams filled the room.

Julian groans. 

“Garak-“ 

Garak scooped up Kiroyoshi and pushes him in the replicated swing. He coos happily.

Julian turnedback to his padd.

“Julian, I’m bored,” came Molly’s voice from the other side of the room.

“Mr. Garak will play with you, sweetheart.”

“We need at least 3 people to play any good games.”

Julian looked at Garak, who raised his eyebrows as if to say ‘Well, she’s right.’

Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, Julian said, “I’m sure Mr. Garak can find a game for you to play together.” He returned to his work.

A few minutes later, he felt a tiny hand poke his arm.

“Julian.”

He closed his eyes, then said, “Yes, Molly?”

“I want to play Clue.”

He looked questioningly at Garak, who said simply, “One of your insipid terran children’s games.”

Julian looks at the box. 

_Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock, Miss Scarlett, and Colonel Mustard are all here in Boddy Mansion. One of them has done away with Mr. Boddy, but in which of the nine rooms?_

His eyes met Garak’s, and Garak inclined his head as if to say, ‘ _She’s six. Do you really want to argue about the validity of a board game_?’

“Well, I suppose your talents will be well-suited to this game.”

“A game where five of the suspects are innocent? That’s not very Cardassian at all.”

Julian settled in to read the rules.

\-------------------------------

“I think it was Colonel Mustard, with a lead pipe, in the infirmary.”

“Julian! There’s no room called the infirmary. You’re in the library.”

“All right then. The library.”

An audible sigh as Molly flashed him the library card a second time.

“Julian! I already showed you that. Are you paying attention?”

 _I’m going to kill Garak_.

Molly rolled the dice, moving her piece to the dining room.

“You haven’t reached the dining room, yet, my dear. Move your piece back two spaces.”

“I have! I rolled a six.”

“Your piece started back here. Even a six wouldn’t have gotten you to the dining room.”

Molly looked mutinous, and Julian gave Garak a pained look that said ‘ _Let it go_ ’. 

Garak persisted, “If we are to play this game properly-“

Garak stopped midsentence. Molly’s angry gaze was so much like Keiko’s that Julian almost laughed out loud.

“It was Professor Plum, with a knife, in the dining room.”

Garak looked at his cards. 

“It seems all right to me.”

“Julian?”

He checked.

“Good here.”

Molly looked triumphant.

“I accuse colonel mustard, with the revolver, in the dining room.”

Julian looked relieved. Now he could finally get back to work.

He and Garak stood up, and Molly stopped them.

“Check the envelope. See if I’m right.”

“The envelope?”

“Yes, you put three cards there before the start of the game.”

Julian looked helplessly at Garak, who shrugged.

“Why would we put cards in the envelope?”

Molly seemed lost for words. 

“Never mind. Let’s play again. I’ll set up this time.”  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------  
Julian looked at his watch. Only thirty minutes had passed. It felt like hours.

“Molly? Can you and Garak try another game? I’m going to go back to work for awhile.”

“Julian! We said best out of three.”

Julian was quickly losing patience.

Garak quickly jumped in.

“Now my dear, you’ve already won the first two. Surely it’s unnecessary to play another game to know that you’ve won.”

“Best of three means we have to play three games! Besides, you have to at least try to beat me.”

Garak looked at Julian. 

“My dear, can we take a short break? Julian and I need to talk for a few minutes.”

“All right.”

“Garak, you said I’d hardly know you were here.”

“My dear, how was I supposed to know that kids were so, shall we say, directive?”

“Anyone who’s ever spent time with them knows that! Haven’t you ever babysat before?”

“Well, no.”

Julian sighed. 

“How are you so bad at this? You were an agent for the Obsidian order, can’t you read people well enough to gain some insight into a simple game?”

“I’m not the one who is shown the same cards again and again. If you put some thought into your guesses-“

“Are you two fighting?”

“No, dear. Go back to playing. We’re almost done here.”

“Surely your genetically-engineered brain gives you a better memory than you've displayed so far-“

“I'm trying to go through the casualty reports while we play! If someone had kept the kids occupied the way he promised-“

“I'm bored. When will you be ready?”

“Just a few minutes, dear.”

“That's what you said before!”

They exchanged a long look.

“All right. Let's play.”

\---------------------------------------

Julian thought if he ever met Colonel Mustard, he'd just strangle him with his bare hands. Garak had finally gotten Yoshi to sleep and engaged Molly in a building project.

He settled in to inspect the casualty reports.

“Julian, look!”

“Very nice,” he said without looking up.

“You didn't even look! I bet you don't even know what I'm building.”

“It's a… a starship.”

“Julian! It's a princess in a runabout!”

Julian turned back to his padd and tried to focus.

“Now look at what I built!”

_Where was Garak?_

“Honey, I need to work. Can you play on your own for a little while?”

“Ok.”

Three minutes later, “Julian, can you help me build a space station?”

Two long hours later, it was Molly's bedtime.

“Say goodnight to Julian, dear.”

“But I need him to read to me!”

She looked pleadingly at him.

“All right. Wash up, put on some pajamas, and pick out two books. We can read when you're ready.”

Sitting in their bedroom, Yoshi in his crib, Molly settled on his lap and opened a book. Julian read,

“Where's my cow? Is this my cow? It goes HRUUUGH! It is a hippopotamus! That is most certainly not my cow..”

As he continued to read, Molly became drowsy, and Garak carried her to the bed. A feeling of satisfaction and peace came over Julian.

They sprawled on the couch, exhausted, Julian's head on Garak's lap. 

“Come now, my dear, was it really that bad?”

Julian thinks back to the feeling of Molly on his lap, giggling at the story. He smiled, and dozed off before he could answer.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
